On Public Prayers

From CT: (I’ve clipped three; more responses can be found at the link.)

What do you think should be done in public prayer? Use “in Jesus’ name” or not?

The North Carolina General Assembly is reviewing its policies on guest chaplains after Winston-Salem pastor Ron Baity was told he could not pray in Jesus’ name. Meanwhile, the group Atheists of Florida is suing the City of Lakeland over its opening invocations “in Jesus’ name.” Several governmental bodies around the country are facing similar fights.

“There is unequivocal demand that Christians not be ashamed of the Son of Man. So we can’t disguise that aspect of who we are; and really, if the government wants to integrate religion into its processes — there’s no such thing as generic prayer. It’s not superstition, it’s not magic — it’s talking to God. I don’t think we can be asked to set aside our Christian distinctives, because then it’s not really prayer. We’re just sort of window-dressing, moral and theological window-dressing for the function of the state, and I think that does harm to the mission of the church. On the flip side, Christians should do whatever they need to do to demonstrate the lordship, supremacy, and uniqueness of Christ. And if that’s unacceptable in whatever public function it is, then Christians should respectfully bow out.”

Tyler Wigg-Stevenson, author, Brand Jesus

“In public praying, I think Christians attempt to be as hospitable as they can, knowing there are people from other faiths there. On the other hand, we pray in Jesus’ name, whether we mention Jesus or not. So whether Jesus’ name is mentioned, we do have to pray in Jesus’ name. That would mean when I pray a public prayer, I want to sound like a Christian, and I’m not offended if somebody comes up and says ‘Gee, that was a Christian prayer.’ I think, ‘Well, you know I’m a Christian.'”

William Willimon, bishop, North Alabama conference of the United Methodist Church

“When Christians happen to be in settings where they’re not gathered together specifically as Christians — for instance, on the floor of the House of Representatives — then I think they should not pray in Jesus’ name. In that kind of setting, while I’m sure that it’s quite possible to offer sincere prayer in Jesus’ name, I think the temptation to offer that kind of prayer for insincere reasons is far too great to make it legitimate. The fact is that in certain parts of the country, in certain very large parts of the country, to very large numbers of Americans, a politician praying explicitly in Jesus’ name is like, ‘Oh, hey, I’m going to vote for that guy because he prays in Jesus’ name.’ … It can end up devolving into almost a logo.”

Jonathan Malesic, author, Secret Faith in the Public Square: An Argument for Christian Identity